IRELAND.
Tina ArruAv AT Moecone.—We mentioned in our Postscript last week, that the latest accounts spoke of one person only as having fallen in the rencontre between the police and the peasantry. Contrary to the usual rule, it now appears that the first account was the true one The intelligence brought to the Irish Government expressly states that twelve persons had been killed; and it adds, twenty wounded. The number of wounded, however, is not likely to be known with ac- - curacy, unless to the peasantry themselves. An inquest on two of the bodies—those of Catherine Foley and , Joseph Sinnot—commenced its sittings on Wednesday sennight, at Moncoin, in the house of a Mr. Comerford. The Magistrates present were—Major Curry (agent to Lord Duncannon), James Edinonde, John Walsh, J. H. Jones, and the Reverend Mr. Herbert. In select- ing the Jury, the names of twenty-nine farmers were put into a bat, and the first twelve that were drawn formed the Jury. Dr. Briscoe of Waterford, who attended Sinnot, described his con- dition— " I was called to see the deceased between three and four o'clock on Monday evening ; and found him in a house near the chapel of Carrigeen, lying on his side near the fire, frothing out of the mouth, and his pulse nearly extinct. A ball fired from a gun had entered the buttock, shattered the os macron, and come out under the cartilage of ribs at the left side. Prom the nature of the wound, it is evident that the deceased must have had his back towards the person who fired the shot ; and must also have been very near the person who fired at him."
Catherine Foley, according to the same witness, was shot in the mouth ; the ball penetrating the base of the skull and the vertebru of the neck. She must have died instantly. A witness, named Edmund Doyle, spoke in a very feeling manner of the poor lad Siiinot--
He had visited hint twice before his death, on Monday eveniog. He found him lying on straw in Richard Quinn's house at Carrigeen. He appeared to be in great agony; called now and then for drink, and at intervals endeavoured to raise himself up, and frequently cried out, " Lord have mercy on my soul !" He seemed to give up all hope of recovering, and lie died before day-break. Doyle asked him for his dying declaration and took the substance of his answers down in writing, which occupied him about a guar ter of an hour. He asked every question twice. He produced the original paper and read as follows—"I pelted no stone at the police : I had no stick, pike, tire-arms, or stone when the police fired. No person pelted a stone in my view. I was running away when I was shot in the back. I did not advise any one to pelt or not to pelt, but I beard persons advise not to pelt. When I was stretched near the ditch, the police caught me by the breast, opened my eyes, and said, The rascal is not yet dead.' I did not go out to molest the police ; I went to the forge."
On Friday, the inquest was resumed ; when other witnesses were examined touching the origin of the affray. .t n old mom named Patrick Kelly, spoke of a notice being nailed to the pump in the village of Ballygorcy : no riot took place there : this tvas in the morning. Another man, named Patrick Brdwders, followed the police from Ballygorey-
He saw the police draw off the road, and turn into a little field to the left; when the police went into the field, made over towards the man whom he thought commanded the police; he did not see many of the people following the police, only about forty or fifty boys and wonum ; be saw none of his own description [age] present ; the greater number of the people following the police were women and grown-up boys. The people followed the police up to the top part of Ballygorey ; the people did not prevent them from marching on the road. Saw no sticks, stones, or weapons of any description in the hands of the people; heard some shouting from grown-up boy. The police drew up in the field in military order. It was more-than half an hour befine the firing he spoke to the captain. Was in the stubble-field, where one of the people was murdered f the police were in the adjoining field,- did not see them surrounded by any people when they fired; where lie was, there were only five or six persons to the right of hum; there were others scattered about. He was about a hundred yards from the people that were shot when they fell ; he then ran away, and a ball ran faster, for it was near hitting-him. Did not see any stones thrown by the people that day ; he saw one man throw something out of his arms into the ditch—it seemed to him to be a stick. Did not see the police follow the people to fire at them. When he saw the people fall, did not wait to see who they were. On his oath, the police were not in an danger from the people when they fired. The police were on an eminence at the time he beard the shots. There are no factions in that neighbourhood.
William Doyle gave nearly the same description of the affray—. On his oath, saw no necessity for the police firing. Saw one person fall, but saw him rise again. Thought no person would be killed. After the firing, he stooped down, and while going away, heard bullets whizzing about his head; the bullets he heard whizzing about his ears were fired by the police, as no per- son else had a gun. Knew the deceased Joseph Skillet and Catherine Foley; did not see them at Carrigeen that day. Heard the ringing of a bell that dayat Carrigeen Chapel ; the ringing of the hell was not long before the firing com- menced; it was about three or five minutes before the bring the bell was tolled.
In the course of the proceedings on Wednesday, a circumstance oc-
curred that could have occurred nowhere but in Ireland. Major Browne having entered the Court, took his seat among the other Ma- gistrates. Mr. Counsellor Walsh, who is retained for the friends of the parties slain, strongly objected to such a proceeding. He asked if the Major were not with the military and police concerned in the affray— Major Browne—" Yes, I was."
Counsellor Walsh—" And such being the case, do you intend to preside on
this Bench to-day ?" Major Browne—" Certainly, I do."
Counsellor Walsh—" Major Browne, I put it to your own sense of propriety whether you ought to preside as a Magistrate on this inquest?"
Major Browne—,, Though I was out that day with the police. I was three quarters of a mile from them when the transaction occurred. lane as impar- tial a magistrate as any in the county. There was a sergeant of police in co- loured clothes mistaken for me. I was at Aglish when the firing commenced at Carrigeere" Even iii Ireland, however, an attempt of a Magistrate to sit in judg- ment on his own conduct, is now considered " too bad and the im- partial Magistrate, after some more discussion, yielded the point and.
retired..
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